Mumbai, July 22 — Actor Abhay Deol has voiced his support for students protesting against the recent incident of violence, saying the unrest has exposed long-standing social divisions in the country.
Abhay shared a famous post-war poem titled First They Came by Martin Niemoller, based on the idea that injustice against any group should concern everyone.
Taking to the caption section, she posted a strongly worded note talking about how India has historically prioritised community over country, arguing that injustice and violence are not new but have now reached a point where they can no longer be ignored.
He wrote: “Let’s admit to ourselves, culturally we have always placed our community before our country. We speak with national pride, but we remain divided through religion, caste, class, and even language.”
“This is why we remain fragmented, apathetic, fearful, concerned only for our own well being. Because no one is going to support you when you need it most. The poverty in our country is not just in our environment but also in our minds. We don’t expect excellence, the bare minimum will do,” the actor added.
Abhay went on to share: “Don’t just look at the films and the media, look at your parents and ask them what they believe. The divide is between the old world and the new one that is emerging. You either change, or you get left behind. Injustice and violence is not new in our country. It has only just arrived at your doorstep, and now even you cannot ignore it.”
Abhay, on the acting front, was last seen in “Trial By Fire” in 2023. It stars Abhay Deol, Ashish Vidyarthi, Anupam Kher, Rajshri Deshpande, Rajesh Tailang, Ratna Pathak Shah, Shilpa Shukla, Shardul Bharadwaj and others.
The series is based on the book Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of the Uphaar Fire Tragedy authored by Neelam Krishnamoorthy and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy about the Uphaar Cinema fire.
On Monday, violent clashes erupted as thousands of supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and students marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recurring examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leaks.
The protests, which began at Jantar Mantar, drew students, opposition leaders, and activists demanding accountability in the education system. Delhi Police have assured a thorough investigation into the violence.